How to transfer a domain name from Network Solutions registrar

Some time ago I gave up on OneStop.net (after their support fell into zombie status and they managed to let my domain name expire) and eventually managed to arrange with the Network Solutions registrar that they were using under the hood to renew my expired domain name (there is some time before it is available for others to grab, but you pay more money) and move my account to them.

First taste of their service was that they had lots of bureaucracy, they expected customers abroad to call internationally to their operators who didn’t get spelling of domain names etc. over the phone. However I was too tired at the time to checkout how I could move to some other provider.

Eventually when they informed me via e-mail that they had raised their already expensive charge for renewing a domain name and also added European VAT that I couldn’t get back easily from the local tax authority, plus they were advance charging the credit card I had given for auto-renewal, I decided to move on.

It took me some time to achieve the transfer of that domain and some other domains I had at Network Solutions, since their system was rejecting the domain transfer, even after I had unprotected the domain (see below how). Had to do some ranting to them to let me eventually leave. Amen.

To do a domain transfer you need to get an authorization code and also to unprotect the domain. I inserted below some screenshots I took at the time to guide you.

First of all go to Network Solutions and login with your account there, then go to “Manage Account” (not sure if it was “Domain Names” instead)

At the list of domain names, click “Manage” for the one you want to transfer

At that domain management page, click the URL “Turn Off or Request Authorization Code”

And then unprotect the domain and ask for an authorization code to be e-mailed to you (check that you have a correct e-mail address in your account settings):

Mind you at the last image you have to select both “LEAVE DOMAIN PROTEXT OFF” (not keep the default that is shown at the screenshot above) and “REQUEST AUTHORIZATION CODE”, else the domain transfer process will be rejected automatically and also it may mark it as suspicious transfer in their systems and when you try again having turned domain protect off it may still fail and then you need to contact them to unflag it.